Three o’clock in the early morning, Elaine was sleeping soundly, when she was wakened up by the
doorbell all of a sudden.
She tossed about on the bed for a long time and covered her head with the quilt, trying to block the
noise, but the doorbell kept ringing.
Elaine couldn’t bear it any longer. She walked to the door in anger. “It’s so late. What are you doing?
You...”
“Ms. James.”
A man working for Darnell was standing at the door.
Seeing him, Elaine sobered up a bit. “What’s the matter?”
The man checked his watch and said, “Ms. James, you only have ten minutes to get packed. Master of
Riverside is waiting for you downstairs.”
Elaine was confused. “Where to?”
“Back to Riverside City.”
“But I...” Elaine was still spacey. She looked around. “I haven’t got ready yet. Ten minutes are not
enough.”
The man rechecked his watch. “Nine minutes left.”
“Be reasonable, OK? Who can get ready in only ten minutes?”
“Master of Riverside has given you half an hour, Ms. James. However, you’ve wasted the previous
twenty minutes.” The man reminded her again, “Eight minutes left...”
Before he finished his words, Elaine had already rushed back to her room.
She pulled out her suitcase, opened the closet, grabbed her clothes, and threw them inside. Then she
found that she couldn’t put in other things.
She thought that clothes could be bought when she went back.
Hence, Elaine took out the clothes again and put in some things she bought after coming to City N.
When she rushed to the door with her suitcase, the ten minutes were over.
“Let’s go, Ms. James.”
Elaine panted, followed him into the elevator while dragging the suitcase.
As soon as the elevator door closed, Elaine saw her reflection on the wall, only to find that she was still
in pajamas and slippers. Her hair was messy as well.
She gaped.
She whispered, “Well... May I go back to get changed? Please give me five minutes. Well, no, two
minutes... One minute?”
The man looked over at her. “Ms. James, you can get changed on the jet later.”
Elaine pulled a long face. “I didn’t bring any clothes.”
The man said, “Ms. James, you should know Master of River’s temper well.”
His kindly reminder stopped Elaine from going back to get changed.
She believed her life was more important than changing her pajamas.
When she arrived downstairs, the man took over Elaine’s suitcase. “Please sit in, Ms. James.”
Elaine hummed and pulled the rear door open. When she was about to get in, she found Darnell was
also in the backseat. She immediately closed the door, walked to the passenger’s seat, and sat down.
Darnell didn’t react during the whole process.
The car was driven steadily on the way.
Elaine was woken up from her dream. In the silent car, she felt sleepy gradually.
Soon, she tilted her head and fell asleep.
Darnell said indifferently, “Let Vincent follow Caesar James. Once Caesar James comes back to
Riverside City, inform me immediately.”
“Yes, Master.” The man asked, “Shall we tell Clarence Conrad about the information we’ve found
recently?”
They followed the clue of Riverside City, only to find that it wasn’t Joanna who was in touch with the
James family.
Joanna even didn’t know the existence of the James family.
Darnell was expressionless. “Do you think he has quit Conrad Group because he didn’t know about it?”
...
Elaine had a dream. She was a bunny in the dream.
One day, when she was sleeping in her nest, she was caught by a black bear and dragged to the
demon’s palace.
The whole palace was covered in green light. The demon with a fierce look was sitting at a ten-meter-
long dining table. He held a knife and a fork with a napkin on his neck. A drumstick with blood was on
the plate in front of him.
Then other plates were opened one after another, on which there were bound deer and living goldfish.
The black bear tossed her onto the last plate.
The demon tasted all the previous food, and finally, it was her turn.
Seeing that his bloody mouth was approaching her, she was suddenly full of strength, hopped off the
plate, and fell onto the ground.
“Ouch--”
Elaine rubbed her butt and stood up. She looked around, only to find that she wasn’t in the demon’s
palace now.
She looked at the bed next to her, where she had fallen from earlier.
Then she lifted the window shade. The jet was flying steadily in the sky.
Everything that happened last night was like a dream. She hadn’t come back to her senses yet and
couldn’t believe that she was going back to Riverside City...
Although she was pretty homesick, she became unhappy and resistant as soon as she thought that
she would lose her freedom after going back.
Besides, she hadn’t bid Stella or Sherry farewell.
Elaine peered out of the window in sadness. Finally, she cheered herself up. Rubbing her starved belly,
she pulled the door open and poked her head out.
Outside the bedroom, Darnell was reading on the sofa.
Elaine wanted to ask him for help, so she called obediently, “Uncle Darnell...”
Darnell didn’t answer.
He paused when turning the book page and raised his eyebrows slightly. Then he looked up at her
slowly. “What’s the matter?”
Elaine said in a low voice, “I’m hungry.”
Darnell took a look at the door behind. “There’s food in the dining room.”
She hummed to answer and trotted over.
After getting full, Elaine stretched. When she wanted to go back to the bedroom for rest, she had to
pass where Darnell was sitting.
She opened the door and tried her best not to attract his attention. Then she tiptoed and moved
forward slowly.
On halfway, she suddenly recalled something. Then she turned around and walked to Darnell. “Why did
we suddenly fly back to Riverside City? I...”
Before she finished her words, Darnell looked up.
Probably she still had the lingering fear of her nightmare. Elaine took a few steps back in fright. She put
her hands in front of her in defense. “I... I... I do not doubt your decision. I’m just curious... It’s kinda out
of the blue...”
Darnell closed his book and said indifferently, “Your great-grandfather is seriously sick.”
Elaine widened her eyes. “He’s quite healthy. How come? How serious?”
“If not serious, they wouldn’t have called you back.”
Upon hearing it, Elaine was startled. Tears welled up in her eyes. However, she tried her best to
suppress them and hold them back.
After a while, Darnell continued, “Death is just as normal as birth. You are not a child any longer. You
shouldn’t need me to tell you all those reasons.”
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